1. Field of the Invention
The invention is related to the field of telecommunications, and in particular, to quality of service systems, methods, and software for wireless communications.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Current wireless packet based communication systems provide services on a best effort basis. Some services that are provided over wireless systems include standard data services, such as file transfer, e-mail, and Internet browsing. For example, end users typically gain Internet access using access devices that interface with wireless base stations. Factors that affect the quality of service provided over wireless networks include the number of end users accessing any particular base station, the quality of connections between access devices and base stations, and the connection quality between base stations and a backhaul network, as well as other factors.
Unfortunately, current wireless packet based systems do not provide for effective quality of service monitoring, correlation, and evaluation. One prior art solution for monitoring quality of service in wireline networks is the real-time control protocol (RTCP). However, RTCP message exchange is relegated to the end points of a wireline network. End points in wireline networks often times exchange RTCP messages regarding the quality of a session setup between the end points. For example, media terminal adapters (MTA) in cable networks utilize RTCP.
Recently, real-time wireless services have become increasingly popular. Examples of real-time services include wireless voice and video over packet (VoP) services. While traditional data services like e-mail and Internet browsing can be provided effectively on a best effort basis, real-time services require more robust mechanisms to ensure a high quality of service.